How to get a muscular looking neck

[Superdude]

I have a really long and thin neck. What should I do to make my neck stronger, thicker, and more muscular looking?

[Biker]

Hit the weight pile at the local gym and do some REALLY heavy shrugs. Just be sure to do them properly. Straight up and down, none of this silly rolling your shoulders in circles. It will also strengthen your grip. Shrugs are actually for developing the trapezius, but they also indirectly build up mass in the rest of your neck from the strain. Plus, building the trapezius will make your neck look shorter.

Either barbell or dumbell shrugs. Just be sure to go as heavy as you can while keeping proper form. Proper form would be standing up straight, arms slightly in front (for barbell) arms at your sides (dumbell), shrug your shoulders up as if you are trying to touch your ears with your shoulders and back down. No cheating either, using a little bit of body motion to get the weights moving, then you aren't really accomplishing what you want. Probably stay in the 6 to 8 rep range, either 3 or 4 sets. And train them no more than twice per week.

If your grip is your limiting factor, use lifting straps. They go around your wrist and wrap around the bar, sort of locking the bar to your hand. The straps wrap around the bar in the opposite direction of your fingers so that if the bar rolls one way, your fingers stop it. If it rolls the other way, the straps stop it.

Hope this helps.

[Superdude]

Thanks for the advise. Someone else suggested that I should lie on my back, and then touch my chin to my chest as many times as I can. Is that any good?

[Biker]

It is to a point. But then you'll probably have to rotate 90 degrees and get each side. Plus, without added resistance you will stop seeing results rather quickly. But different people respond to exercise differently. Give it a go, it may work well for you.

[Guest]

Superdude, having seen your "Challenge" thread, why don't you try to stick your head up your own arse? That way you get a good workout as well as get a close up of the sum of your own martial arts knowledge.

[Builderofmuscle]

thats hillarious. Shrugs, and all that junk work your traps more than your neck. And why would you want to work your neck. Your'e neck isn't really a muscle. I mean, the only thing you should really do his stretchi it, to prevent injury. Also, maybe do the wreslter bridge thing. But wehn I used to do that It hurt when I swollowed, so be carefull. Unless you're into competitio grappling, or whatever, there' not need to add resistence when working your neck.

[Biker]

Check out your Gray's Anotomy Chart. The trapezius extends from one shoulder blade to the other, left to right, and from the base of your skull to about 1/3 of the way down your back. So doing shrugs would actually give you a muscular looking neck. No offense, but some of us have been at this longer than you have been alive.

[Builderofmuscle]

I understand where you're coming from, but I still don't consider training your traps the same thing as training your neck. A neck, technically isn't a muslce group. I undertand the importance of training your traps, and I do shrugs after my back and shoulder workouts, but that still doesn't justify why you would even need to "train" you're neck

http://www.bodybuilding.com/cgi-bin/perlfect/search/search.pl?q=neck%20training&showurl=http%3A//www.bodybuilding.com/fun/schultz8.htm

[shredder]

Your neck isn't a muscle group? How do you think you nod your head? Your neck has two muscles other than the trapezius. They are the splenius (extension), and sternocleidomastoid (flexion). The upper traps also extend up to neck, or at least one head does. Hence the shrugs.

Go tell a boxer that a strong neck isn't important and see what they say.

[terry]

Boxers need strong necks to stabilize their head from the pounding they take. Neck strength helps you to keep from getting knocked out.

Thai boxers need strong necks to resist the strong downward pull that their opponents exert on their necks while in plums. If they are successful at pulling your head down they will knee you in the face and knock you out.

Jujutsu guys need strong necks to help with choke resistance and also for some bridging-based movements. They also need to maintain strong necks for maintaining posture, which their opponents will try to break.

Wrestlers need strong necks to assist in some of the throws common in greco and also in doing some bridging-based defensive moves. Also, they will frequently use their head as one point of balance in a tripod--also common in jujutsu.

The exercises methods to strengthen the neck muscles are nothing secret. However, there are some neck strengthening exercises that should not be attempted until you are pretty advanced (standing on somebody's neck to strengthen the internal muscles is in this category.) In any case, shrugs, bridges and neck ups are some of the basics. Just don't forget to ramp on these before going hard or you'll be hating life.

T

[rocknrollrjm]

I do all of the above exercises for my neck/traps and like the feel and appearance of a strong neck. At the same time, if your neck is too big, stiff and bulky, your neck won't have the give that is needed to absorb the blows, and this can lead to being knocked out. If you have the luxury of seeing a shot coming in, especially to your chin or jaw where your head will get twisted, the best thing to do is relax and go with it...easier said than done.

[terry]

My experience matches with the above post. The boxing gyms I've trained in (Kings in Oakland mostly) say to relax and roll with it but also say to start with a strong neck.

[Builderofmuscle]

I'm looking at my neck

Ok, I'm looking in the mirror and I see a nice neck. I felt it. I felt the back, the sides, and even put my entire hand around it. I like what I felt, and saw in the mirror.

So, is my "muscular" neck the result of good genetics, or 3 years of martial arts training and weight training?

Because, I have never devoted a specialized workout for my neck.

[RBFC]

Hello. I ran across this forum while on a holiday break from work. I write the Strength and Conditioning column for MMA Ring Report, a large site which covers the professional NHB circuit (www.mmaringreport.com). I recently ran a column which describes several levels of neck strengthening exercises. Don't be fooled by anyone who suggests that your neck will not respond to proper conditioning work!

Please feel free to read my archived column(s) there. I'll be happy to respond to any questions, etc. you may have.

Thank you for the opportunity to join in on your forum.

Lee

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